Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC) graduate Lila Seroy of Whitehouse Station has been named a Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact, a national coalition that works to promote civic engagement in higher education. Seroy, who graduated from RVCC in May 2025 with a business degree and is now attending Stanford University, joins student leaders from across 38 states, Washington, D.C., and Mexico as part of the 2025-2026 cohort.
The Newman Civic Fellowship is a yearlong program designed to recognize students for their leadership potential and commitment to community improvement. Named after Frank Newman, one of Campus Compact’s founders and an advocate for civic engagement in education, each fellow is nominated annually by their campus president or chancellor.
“It is an honor to welcome this group of accomplished and dedicated students to the Newman Civic Fellowship,” said Campus Compact President Bobbie Laur. “As higher education faces unprecedented challenges, these students exemplify the power and possibility of civic and community engagement on campus.”
Fellows participate in learning and networking activities aimed at developing their personal, professional, and civic skills. The program includes an Annual Convening where fellows take part in skill-building workshops over three days. Participants can also apply for mini grants for community projects, scholarships, and post-graduate opportunities.
At RVCC, Seroy received support from the Pray Family Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement through a stipend that enables her participation in the fellowship.
“We are extremely honored that Lila Seroy has been recognized nationally and named a Newman Civic Fellow,” said RVCC President Dr. Michael J. McDonough. “Lila has been a dedicated student leader at Raritan Valley Community College, and she exemplifies an unwavering commitment to advocacy, community empowerment, and education for disadvantaged youth through her work at Visions and Pathways, a local nonprofit that supports at-risk and homeless youth.”
During her two years working with Visions and Pathways—a nonprofit serving at-risk youth—Seroy worked on increasing awareness about resources available to young people aging out of foster care or experiencing homelessness. She expanded outreach efforts using digital marketing strategies such as social media campaigns that shared success stories to encourage broader community support.
Seroy collaborated closely with staff members at Visions and Pathways who provided guidance as nonprofit marketing professionals. This partnership gave her access to tools for tracking social media engagement.
Her experience in digital marketing contributed new methods for raising public awareness about issues affecting vulnerable youth populations. In addition to her work with Visions and Pathways, Seroy completed over 200 hours of service during the 2024-2025 academic year—a contribution recognized by the President’s Volunteer Service Award.
